Folding pedestal.



P. P. MEYER.

FOLDING PBDESTAL.

APPLICATION TILED NOV. 5, 1910.

Patented. Apr. 23, 1912.

WM y@ d'1 FFIQE.

PAUL F. MEYER, 0F GARY, INDIANA.

FOLDING PEDESTAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

Application filed November 5, 1910. Serial No. 590,818.

7o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL F. MEYER, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Gary, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Pedestals, of which the following is a complete specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide a folding pedestal which is adapted to support tables, drawing tables, hammocks, baby baskets, and many other articles; to provide a pedestal which is adapted to be folded into small compass when not in use; to provide a folding pedestal which is adapted to be very quickly and easily folded or unfolded; and to pro vide an improved folding pedestal which is adapted to automatically lock itself in unfolded or operative position.

A specic construction embodying the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the pedestal in open position with a table top shown thereon in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary side elevation of one section of the pedestal in open position. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, side elevation of one section of the pedestal in folded position. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of one of the hinge brackets. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the hinge bracket.

In the construction shown, the pedestal comprises two sections, A and B, which are adjustably connected together and which are identical in form and construction, so that a description of one section will suf lice for both. Each section, comprises two legs, 1 and 2, a connecting bar 8, and a standard 4, all of which are pivoted or hinged to a hinge bracket or member 5. Said bracket is provided on its inner face, and adjacent to its lower end, with a pair of apertured ears or lugs 6 in which is pivoted the connecting bar 3 by means of a pivotpin 7 The bracket is provided with a bottom S which extends inwardly partially across the bottom of the ears 6, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5, so that the connecting bar 3 may fold downwardly, but when turned to a horizontal position its hinged end 9 will strike said bottom and prevent further movement of the bar. Extending laterally on each side of the bracket is a pair of ears 10 in which the legs 1 and 2 are pivoted by means of pivot pins 11. The upper ends of said legs are beveled to adapt them to bear against the sides of the bracket when the legs are in operative position, as shown in Fig. 1. The back 12 of the bracket does not extend quite as high as the sides 13, and ears 14 extend rearwardly from said sides over the top of the back. The standard 4 is hinged to said ears 14 at a point slightly above its lower end by means of a hinge 15.

The standard 4 is adapted to swing outwardly when being folded, and when it is raised to an upright position its lower end strikes against the inner side of the back and limits the movement of the standard. A leaf spring 16 is mounted on the connecting bai1 3 with its free end directed toward the standard and normally out of contact with the bar, as shown in Fig. 3. I/Vhen the standard is raised to an upright position it depresses the spring which snaps up behind the standard after the latter has passed and locks the standard in operative position.

The legs 1 and 2 are connected together intermediate their ends by means of toggle bars 17 which are pivoted together at their adjacent ends, and are pivoted to the legs at their outer ends. An operating bar 18 is pivoted at its lower end to the joint between the toggle bars, and is hinged at its upper end to the standard 4 above the hinge 15. The sections A and B may be adjustably connected together in any desired man ner, but, as shown, the ends of the bars pass through a sleeve 19 which is provided with a set screw 20 adapted to clamp the bars therein. This construction permits the sections to be adjusted to and from each other to vary the distance between the standards. Any desired means, not shown, may be mounted on the upper ends of the standards to attach whatever it is desired to support on the pedestal, it being obvious that different mountings will be required for different objects.

The operation of the construction shown is as follows: Then it is desired to collapse or fold the pedestal, the connect-ing bars 3 may he disconnected and the sections folded separately, or the set screw 2O may simply be loosened and the connecting bars moved through the sleeve 19 to bring the sections as closely together as possible. The spring 16 on each section is then depressed to release the, standard, and the standard is turned outwardly on the hinge 15 and causes the bar 18 and the toggle bars 17 to swing the legs into parallel relation. Further movement of the standard folds the legs and standard up against the connecting bar, as shown in Fig. 3. This all may be accomplished at one operation by simply releasing the spring and swinging the standard around into parallel relation with the connecting bar. In opening the pedestal the operation is reversed, that is, the standard is swung around to a position at right angles to the connecting bar, which movement spreads the legs and locks the standard in place.

Obviously the pedestal may be employed to support a great variety of objects, and many details of the form and construction shown may be varied or omitted without departing from the scope of the claims.

f I claim:

l. In a folding pedestal, a hinge bracket, a bar pivoted on said bracket and adapted to extend horizontally therefrom when in operative position, means adapted to support the outer end of said bar, a pair of legs pivoted on opposite sides of the bracket and adapted to diverge outwardly and downwardly therefrom, a standard hinged on the top of the bracket and adapted to rest on the inner end of the bar between the upper ends of said legs, toggle bars pivotally connected at their inner ends and pivoted at their outer ends to said legs, and a bar pivoted to the joint between said toggle bars and hinged to the standard above said bracket.

Q. A folding pedestal, comprising a pair of hinge brackets, connecting bars hinged to said brackets and adapted to fold downwardly from a horizontal position when folding the pedestal, a pair of laterally swinging legs hinged to each bracket and having inclined upper ends, toggle bars connecting t-he legs of each pair, standards hinged on said brackets adapted when in Copies oi this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the operative position to rest on the connecting bars between the inclined ends of the legs,

and bars hinged on said standards and piv- 1cgtally connected with the joints of the toggle ars.

8. A folding pedestal, comprising a pair of hinge brackets, connecting bars hinged to said brackets, standards hinged to the bracket-s and adapted to be normally held perpendicularly to the connecting bars, legs hinged to the brackets and normally diverging from the lower ends of the standard, toggle bars connecting the legs of each bracket, and an operating bar connecting each standard with the toggle bars of the adjacent legs and adapting the legs, standards and connecting bar on each bracket to be simultaneously folded to parallel relation at one operation.

4. A folding pedestal, comprising a pair of independently folding sections, and each section comprising a connecting bar, downwardly and outwardly diverging legs hinged at the outer end of said bar, a standard hinged at the outer end of the bar and adapted to rest thereon between the upper ends of the legs, a spring adapted to lock the standard in an upright position, toggle bars pivotally connected to the legs and pivotally connected together, an operating bar hinged at one end to the standard and pivoted at its other end to the joint in the toggle bars and adapting the standards to fold outwardly and downwardly against the connecting bar and to simultaneously fold the legs against the connecting bar.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

PAUL F. MEYER. y

itnesses JOSEPH SOHLENKER, JOHN MILLER.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

